Handheld power tools, and primarily, handheld power tools used for landscaping purposes, are in wide use by both professional landscapers and homeowners. Such tools can include, but are not limited to, weed trimmers, blowers, hedge trimmers, and others. The category may also be expanded to include handheld stick vacuums used on carpeting and on hard surface flooring of various types. Most such tools include a pair of spaced handles, designed so that the user can balance the tool, with the weight distributed more or less evenly between the working end and the opposite end which has a motor or battery pack, and also to comfortably utilize the tool for its designated function.
Many attempts have been made to develop a shoulder strap system, designed to support the tool on the shoulder of the user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,682, issued to Nakaya, et al., teaches a suspender for a brush cutter that has a shoulder belt and a support member removably connected to the shoulder belt. Linkage, including a hook to support the tool and a spring to allow some flexibility, are used to support the tool during use. U.S. Pat. No. 8,534,515, issued to Muchin, et al., teaches a pivoting elastic shoulder support which has a fixed shoulder support harness with an elastic strap attached to each end thereof, allowing the user to maneuver the tool during use. U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,636, issued to Latiolais, teaches a similar arrangement in which a fixed length shoulder strap is attached to bungee cords at each end, the bungee cords allowing the user to extend the tool by pressing down on the tool against the force of the bungee cords.
The above examples, and others in the prior art, suffer from certain drawbacks. Some prior art support straps are non-elastic and of a fixed length, and while others provide a non-elastic strap that has a length adjustment component. Others, like the patents to Muchin, et al. and Latiolais incorporate dual component straps, which have a non-elastic portion and an elastic portion connected thereto. One common feature; however, is that all known prior art straps have a non-elastic portion that encircles the neck and/or shoulder of the user. Thus, even when coupled with an elastic portion or portions, the amount of flexibility afforded the user is considerably limited. While providing utility, known prior art strap assemblies force the user to do a significant amount of walking in order to maneuver the tool, and limit the ability of the user to extend the tool away from the body to reach areas more remote from the user. It is to these disadvantages and others that the present disclosure is addressed.